Sarah Mills

Do not confuse with the family of Samuel Mills of Elizabethtown, Essex County, New Jersey, who died there before 16 March 1744/45. (Samuel Mills, of Elizabethtown who married 1st wife of Samuel Mills, of Elizabethtown & Abigail Mills).

Biography

Updated 18 January 2025

Sarah Denton, daughter of Samuel Denton (d. 1699) and his wife Mary, was born about 1677 in Jamaica, Queens, New York Colony. She died circa 1733 (47-64) Greenwich, Fairfield County, Connecticut Colony. (?) Alternatively, Sarah died about 1825 in Livingston, Columbia, New York (?).

She married Samuel3 Mills Jr., "sadler," about 1693 at Jamaica, Long Island, Queen's County, New York. He was born by 1673, based on marriage, but probably as early in 1660, in Jamaica, NY. He was the son of Samuel Mills2 and his wife Susannah Palmer. Samuel3 Mills died after 12 March 1757 and before 19 April 1758. This Samuel Mills of Greenwich was referred to Samuel Mills, Sr. in the records of Greenwich, Connecticut, where he died. His son Samuel pre-deceased him.

Children of Sarah Denton and Samuel Mills born at Jamaica, Queens County, New York:

1. Samuel Mills4 III, b. say 1695 in Queens County, Long Island, New York; d. before 30 Aug 1735; married Lydia Reynolds, daughter of John Reynolds & Lydia Ferris.
2. Clement(s) Mills4 , b. say 11 Nov 1698 in Jamaica, Queen's County, New York; d. by 28 June 1786; married by 1720 to Caleb Knapp II, son of Caleb Knapp & Sarah Rundle.
3. Sarah Mills4, b. 1704 in Jamaica, Queens County, New York.; d. 4 April 1787; married Jabez Mead by 7 Feb 1730, son of Ebenezer Mead.

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Origins

"Samuel3 Denton (Nathaniel2, Rev. Richard1) was born say 1655 [based on his will which gives his age as about 43] in Hempstead, Long Island. He is variously described as carpenter (JTR 2:315) and planter (his will).

Samuel married say 1676 Mary [Eardeley supplies a family name of "Brush" but cites no source; in his excellent account of the Long Island Brush family (REC. 66:201f.) Conklin Mann mentions no such marriage.] Mary appears in the records only twice: as "wife Mary" on Samuel's will, "to have use of the estate till the children come of age"; and in the following item dated 28 April 1704: "John Griss, of Queens County in relation to violations of the excise; affidavit of Mary, widow of Samuel Denton ... and warrant ... for the arrest of said widow Denton." (CEM 328)...

Samuel died in Jamaica in the spring of 1699. His will, drawn 13 March 1698/9 and proved only two months later, 19 May 1699 (QCDW A:140, REG. 65:248), lists his wife and his children by name, four sons and three daughters - all under age except for a married daughter. The executors were: Captain John Carpenter [his neighbor to the south (JTR 2:254)] and Lieutenant Thomas Smith, perhaps a close friend.

Children of Samuel and Mary (___) Denton, all born in Jamaica, Long Island:

• i. Sarah4, b. c1677; m. c.1693 [aged c.16] to Samuel Mills Jr.; he was a saddler of Jamaica, moved in 1712 to Greenwich, Conn., and was living there 1729. They had three children: Samuel, Clement, and Susannah (Lewis D. Cook, "A Documentary History of the Family of Mills" [typescript, 1939], pp. 24-7).
• ii. Samuel, Jr., b. say 1680 (not 21 in 1699).
• iii. Clement, b. say 1681-2 (not 18 in 1699); m. (1) c.1700 Ebenezer Smith of Norwalk, Conn., who d. Jamaica 1717, (2) John Gregory of Norwalk, Conn. She had 6 children by her first husband: Robert, John, Mary, Abraham, Ebenezer, and Samuel; and was still alive in 1734 (TAG 25:80).
• iv. Mary, b. say 1683, d. 1 Mar 1714 intestate, her eldest brother Samuel appointed to administer her estate at Jamaica (QCDW C:55, REC. 65:321).
• v. Jacamiah, b. say 1685.
• vi. Solomon, b. say 1690.
• vii. Hezekiah, b. sup. 10 March 1697/8."

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Notes

1. Sarah appears to be a descendant of the Rev. Richard Denton who was quite prominent in the early days of Stamford, Connecticut.

The following may be a good place to start: Per the book "The Story of the Early Settlers of Stamford, Connecticut, 1641 - 1700," by Jeanne Majdalany (including genealogies comp. with Edith M. Wicks), page 158: "Denton, Rev. Richard - b1586, d1662, m1___, m2___ ... came from Owram, Yorkshire and was on the 'James' with Matthew Mitchell, arriving Watertown, MA by 1634. He was in Wethersfield, CT in 1635 and was the leader of the 1st group of settlers in Stamford in 1641. His house was later that of John Bishop. He also led the group that went to Long Island in 1644, and then returned to England in 1659. Cotton Mather wrote a glowing account of him (cf. Huntington). Descendants: John - b1618, Daniel, Timothy-bc1627, Nathaniel - bc1628, d1730 m Sarah____, Richard - d1658 m1657 Ruth Tileston, Samuel - d1714 m. Mary Smith. References: Edythe Whitley, 'Some Descendants of Rev. Richard Denton; Frances Isabel Denton Womack, 'The Denton Genealogy'."

2. "Nicholas Knapp Genealogy," compiled by Alfred Averill Knapp, M.D. "This Genealogy of the Descendants of Nicholas Knapp, first found mentioned at Watertown, Massachusetts in 1630, is the result of the work and research of many individuals. The four principal collectors of data were Charles Ruggles Knapp, Henry Eno Knapp, Ezra Fred Knapp and the author, Alfred Averill Knapp, but they were assisted through correspondence by a large number of individuals who furnished much valuable family and local information..." Fourth Generation:

"D-32. Caleb Knapp, son of C-8. Caleb and Sarah (Rundell) Knapp.

B. Nov. 11, 1698, Greenwich, Conn.
D. ca. 1762/63.

M. Clemens Mills about 1720 or before, dau. of Samuel and Sarah (Weston) Mills." [KP: Weston should be Denton.]

3. Miscellaneous comments from Worldconnect accessed 14 Feb 2010, which describes the will of Samuel Denton, sibling to this individual: "Surrogate 9-42 Will of Samuel Denton of Jamaica, blacksmith, dated April 25, 1718, proved April 7, 1719. Mentions wife Martha, mother (not named), two brothers - Jacomiah and Hezekiah, also Samuel and Clement and Susannah, children of my sister Sarah Mills and Robert, John, Mary, Abraham and Ebenezer and Samuel, children of sister Clement Smith."

4. NEHGS Register, vol. 156, April 2002:

"Samuel Mills3, Sadler, of Jamaica, New York, and Greenwich, Connecticut" Helen Schatvet Ullmann (Helen Schatvet Ullmann, CG, is Associate Editor of the Register. She may be reached at hsu@world.std.com or 713 Main Street, Acton, MA 01720-4802.) [See notes of Samuel Mills(3) for full transcript of which the following is a partial excerpt]:

"...Samuel3 Mills, son of Samuel2 and Susannah (Palmer) Mills, and grandson of George1 Mills of Jamaica, Long Island, New York, was born by 1673 [based on his marriage about 1693] and probably earlier, possibly even as early as 1660 (9).

Samuel3 Mills married about 1693 Sarah Denton, daughter of Samuel and Mary (___) Denton of Jamaica (10). On 13 March 1698 Samuel Denton of Jamaica, planter, aged about 43, named in his will his wife Mary and children including son Samuel Denton and daughter Sarah Mills (11). Dated 25 April 1718, her brother Samuel's will includes bequests to the children of "my sister Sarah Mills," Samuel, Clement and Sarah (12)...

Footnotes...

9. Until this year, the best, indeed the only, documented treatment of this family was in Lewis D. Cook's excellent "Documentary History of the Family of Mills" (1939), a typescript at the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society [FHL 1,697,455]. However, Cook did not follow Samuel3 in Greenwich records. The only lengthy treatment of Samuel of Greenwich is in a typescript by Samuel H. Mills, "Samuel Mills Ancestry or George Mills and the Samuel Mills Line of Jamaica, Long Island, New York, and Greenwich, Connecticut," (1958-60), copies of which are at the Greenwich Public Library, the Historical Society of the Town of Greenwich, and the Connecticut State Library. While this is probably quite reliable for later generations in Greenwich, the earlier part evidently copies from various secondary materials, which contain errors. Samuel H. Mills clearly consulted Greenwich land records to some extent, but he must not have read all of the early deeds. Most importantly, he missed the daughter Sarah who married Jabez Mead.

10. Walter C. Krumm, "Descendants of the Rev. Richard Denton," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, 120 (1989):10-17, 93-97, 159-64 at 161, 222-25; 121 (1990):22-24, 144-49, 221-25, et seq.

11. Krumm, "Rev. Richard Denton" [note 10], 120:161, citing Record 65 (1934):248.

12. New York County Wills, Liber 9, p. 42 [FHL 0,874,518]; Abstracts of Wills in the Surrogate's Office, City of New York 17 vols. Collections of The New-York Historical Society for 1892-1908, 2:187, erroneously calls the third child "Susannah." Krumm, "Rev. Richard Denton," [note 10], 120:161, cites the original will as well..."

5. The periodical "The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record," 120[1989]:10-17, 94-97, 160-163; 121[1990]:221-225, etc., "Descendants of the Rev. Richard Denton," by Walter C. Krumm. I have divided up this article and included each generation with the individual detailed (see notes of Rev. Richard Denton for summary of all other publications and researchers prior to this publication):

References

1. MARRIAGE: Citation Information: "Torrey's New England Marriages Prior to 1700." (Online database. NewEnglandAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. CD-ROM. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001: "Mills, Samuel & Sarah [Denton]; ca 1693; Jamaica, LI (see Timothy Mills record below); {Keeler-Wood 81, 92}"
2. Samuel Denton in Frank J Doherty, Settlers of The Beekman Patent Dutchess County, NY: Vol IV, Page 235-236. < AmericanAncestors >; (document attached).
3. NYG&B Record. Krumm, Walter C. "Descendants of the Rev. Richard Denton." (in parts) July 1989: Volume 120, issue 3, page 161. < link > Children of Samuel and Mary (___) Denton, all born in Jamaica, Long Island: i. Sarah4, b. c1677; m. c.1693 [aged c.16] to Samuel Mills Jr.; he was a saddler of Jamaica, moved in 1712 to Greenwich, Conn., and was living there 1729. They had three children: Samuel, Clement, and Susannah (Lewis D. Cook, "A Documentary History of the Family of Mills" [typescript, 1939], pp. 24-7).
4. https://www.newyorkfamilyhistory.org/knowledgebase/queens-county-ne... Queens is one of the twelve original counties formed out of the English colony of New York in 1683.
5. WikiTree contributors, "Samuel Mills II (1670-1731)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mills-2095 : accessed 18 January 2025).
   1. "Palmer Families in America", Volume: 1 Author: Palmer, Horace Wilbur, Compiler: Palmer, Horace Wilbur, Editor: Palmer, Nellie Morse Publication: Neshanic Printing Company, Neshanic, New Jersey, 1966
   2. Samuel Mills in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register: Samuel Mills, Sadler, of Jamaica, New York, and Greenwich, Connecticut, Volume: 156 Author: Ullman, Helen Schatvet Publication: April 2002. Page 113-120 < AmericanAncestors >; children pages 118-120 < AmericanAncestors >; document attached.
6. WikiTree contributors, "Sarah (Mills) Mead (1704-1787)," WikiTree: The Free Family Tree, (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Mills-3180 : accessed 18 January 2025).
   1. Mead, Spencer Percival. Abstracts of Records and Tombstones of the Town of Greenwich (1913) Page 48
7. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Denton-395 has errors as of 18 January 2025